


A Valentine's Vulnerary

by mars_rover



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Awkwardness, F/M, Female My Unit | Reflet | Robin, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, One Shot, References to Shakespeare, Romance, Romeo and Juliet References, Shakespeare Quotations, Short One Shot, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, crackship, i guess, im bad at tagging, im sorry but also not sorry haha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22728490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mars_rover/pseuds/mars_rover
Summary: Cupid shot twice. He missed one.Or did he?
Relationships: My Unit | Reflet | Robin/Solid Snake
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh hello! I see you're interested in this crackship. To those who are asking yourself, "why?" I have a simple answer: ~~yo MAMA~~ Because there is little variety of Snake ships in the Smash fandom as a whole. Which sucks, because Snake is a pretty cool dude and he deserves love from everyone. Don't get me wrong, I fucking love Snake x Samus, but once you see the same ship over and over, it gets a little monotonous. I picked female Robin because she's baby and I felt like her interactions with Snake would be funny, like her support with Lon'qu. I think they have that good chemistry.
> 
> Also HUGE kudos to ParadigmOfWriting's fanfiction, [Syrenet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12422964), which also ships Snake and Robin and it's fucking awesome. Go check it out!
> 
> Also also brief sidenote: I've made it a personal thing to differentiate female Robin from male Robin in terms of personality. My depiction of male Robin is that he is a little more level-headed and patient, and my depiction of female Robin is that she is sassier and doesn't take shit. I hope that explains why she seems a tiny bit OOC compared to her character in-game. :)
> 
> Anyway, I've talked too long. I hope you enjoy this stupid story!

**_February 14, 2019._ **

-

Robin considered herself an extrovert 'by necessity'. She loved talking to other people because it was instinctive; as a tactician, being socialized with one's allies is key. However, she heavily preferred her moments of solitude. Some of her most enjoyable experiences since joining Smash came from sitting alone, wrapped up in a blanket while reading a book.

So it would make sense that an introverted extrovert would dislike parties. The social overload was too much for her to handle.

So, like she did for all years prior, Robin sat out on the Valentine's Day party this year. While everyone else was in the Grand Hall celebrating the first Valentine's of the fifth tournament, Robin left the building with a book tucked under her arm. _Romeo and Juliet_ , to be specific.

Even though she was bundled up– wearing a turtleneck sweater and scarf along with her robe– she shuddered a little as she was hit with the chill February breeze. The thin layer of snow that had settled on the grass like a sheet crunched under Robin's boots as she made her way to the tree she usually spent most of her time sitting under. She looked down and instantly noticed a trail of footprints heading in the same direction as her. Was someone else outside? Her desire to be alone was trumped by her curiosity. She followed the trail like a bloodhound, stepping within the prints, which were much bigger than her own.

The Ylissean eventually came to a stop and looked up. There, standing under her usual tree and smoking, was Snake, looking like a shadow against a white background. Not much of a surprise at all. He was never at any social events she'd gone to, and honestly, he was exactly the kind of mysterious loner type who would avoid social settings altogether.

She'd heard rumors that he was actually a big softie, but she wasn't too sure. He was definitely the steeliest person she had ever seen. She'd never heard more than a few words out of his mouth in the short time he'd been there. Never saw him emote anything other than somber disinterest or mild disappointment. If he really was a softie, he had one hell of an outer shell. It probably took him years and years to hone the art of making people afraid to talk to him.

Yet, despite his clear standoffishness, Robin found herself intrigued by him. It was something about how he so clearly didn't want to seem emotional that sparked her interest. He was a diary with a locket, and she desperately wanted— no, _needed_ — to bust open the lock and open him up. She could spend hours flipping through the pages and pages of prose that made up his mind.

Well, she couldn't start by just standing there. She approached him with gusto, and he immediately took notice. He wore a long overcoat and his signature bandana, but even more recognizable than his bandana was his default scowl.

"Hi!" She greeted warmly as she stopped in front of him. "I don't think we've met yet. I'm Robin." She held out her hand to shake.

The soldier nodded in acknowledgment and shook her hand politely. "Snake."

"It's nice to meet you, Snake. I've heard a lot about you, it's so nice to finally talk to you after all this time."

He looked visibly unamused, like he thought he was being pranked. "What are you doing out here? You should be inside with everyone else."

Cutting right to the point, eh? If he was going to play with knives, it was only fair that she would, too. She crossed her arms. "I could ask the same of you."

The soldier emitted a breathy chuckle, and she smiled a little in relief. For someone with such a rugged and cold disposition, Snake was surprisingly easygoing. "Guess you have a point. I just never really liked Valentine's Day."

"Why not?" Robin asked curiously. She had a gut feeling that it had something to do with maintaining his masculinity.

"Too many people bother me about who my valentine is. Just this morning I had five people trying to guess. Real glad to see nothing's changed in the last ten years," he scoffed sarcastically. "At least you're something new."

Robin's ears grew warm upon hearing his... compliment?, and she pointedly decided to continue the conversation. "Really? Nothing's changed?"

He groaned, as if he was remembering something that he had purposely buried away to never be found again. "Yeah. One year Peach tried to set me up with the old Zelda. After that I just avoided Valentine's Day altogether."

Robin snorted. "Sounds like the date went badly."

Snake shrugged nonchalantly. "The old Zelda was a lot more uptight than the new one. Spent the whole date ragging on my manners."

"Maybe she was trying to teach you something," she pointed out with a giggle, and Snake made a disapproving frown in response.

"The only thing she taught me was how to act like I'm interested in talking to someone."

Robin laughed at his joke, though she honestly wasn't sure whether it was a joke or not. She guessed it was, because he made the slightest of smiles in her direction. The sight pretty much blinded her. Snake, smiling? Witchcraft! "You're not using this conversation as practice, are you?" She questioned.

"That was my intention, but I guess you've turned it around somehow." He smirked, and oh Naga she hadn't realized how _good_ he looked when he smiled. It was like seeing a puppy performing open-heart surgery. Adorable and unparalleled in every way.

"I suppose that means you like talking with me."

"I suppose," he repeated. The response was open-ended, but she couldn't help but think it was a yes.

Robin's hands worried at the cuffs of her robe. "Hey, do you want to go out and do something? Like get some coffee, maybe?" Her ears felt like they were on fire, and it wasn't just from the cold.

"I don't see why not." He grinned genuinely, and the fire in her ears traveled down her ear canal and set her heart ablaze.

* * *

If there was one thing that Robin was glad existed in the future, it was coffee. Unlike tea, which she drank religiously back at home, coffee was something different. It was rich and flavorful; the drink equivalent of a slap in the face.

So it was appropriate that while she was sitting outside the coffee shop with Snake, she was being slapped by the taste of the drink in her hand, slapped by the cold breeze on her face, and slapped by pale blue eyes that occasionally flicked in her direction.

The silence wasn't awkward at all, in fact it was very much a jovial quietude, but it made her stomach churn. _Should she say something? What should she say? How should she say it?_

"What's the book?" Snake asked conversationally, gesturing at her book, which she had placed on the table beside her. Thank Mila.

" _Romeo and Juliet_ ," Robin replied, looking at the cover. The text was imprinted in gold, and she followed the delicate curves of the letters with her fingers. "This is the second time I'm reading it. Your world has so many amazing literary pieces."

He hummed thoughtfully. She looked up at him and internally mused on how she had never seen him without those angry creases in his bandana until now. Was she starting to break through the surface? "Yeah, Shakespeare is great. Not a big fan of _Romeo and Juliet_ , though. Too sappy."

Robin laughed. "Oh, what a surprise. I should've known the famous love-hating Snake would think a love story is too cheesy," she teased. He huffed in protest.

"I don't hate love." He took a sip of his coffee, which he had gotten black (was he a superhuman or something?). "I just don't glorify it like everyone else." Uh-oh. Look out, Plato.

"You sound like you've already made up your mind about that," Robin mentioned, making a mental observation about how his disconnect from society made him even more fascinating. "Had your own run-ins with love before?"

Snake was quiet, and she could tell he was letting the question sink in. "I've had one." He seemed to frown at the thought of them, old wounds still unhealed. It was viscerally troubling to see him even more upset than usual. "Lost her."

Robin felt the sting of sadness in his tone. "Oh. I'm sorry..."

"It's okay. It's not your fault," he muttered dismissively, massaging his eyelids. "If I told you everything, we'd be here all day."

"Hmm," Robin considered it for a moment, but in the end decided not to press further. "Okay. Well, if you ever want to–"

"Thanks," he interrupted hastily. He probably didn't mean to, but he definitely sounded flustered. "I appreciate it. Really. I just don't like talking about myself that much."

Ooh, he was a little too good at pushing away help. This was going to be a long and arduous game of tug-of-war. Robin was beginning to wonder if he was a lost cause.

She shrugged. "Can't be helped."

Could it be? She could only hope.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you're still here? ok man, whatever toasts your goat

**_February 13, 2020._ **

-

A year passed by before she even knew it. Twelve months of sparring, making new friends, and reconnecting with old ones. She also talked to Snake every once in a while. The two were an unusual pair, admittedly, but they clicked. Many times she had found herself so engrossed in conversation with him that she hadn't realized how long she had been talking to him.

And in all that time, the time that was so abundant yet seemed so short, she wasn't able to get anything significant out of him. She knew about his missions and how he had to fight against giant robotic nukes. She knew about how he was a genetic clone of his father, one of three brothers, two of which tried to kill him.

She didn't know anything about _him_. She knew nothing about how he felt about his family, nothing about how he felt about his first love, nothing that would indicate he showed any form of long-lasting emotion. It was nearly driving her insane. And yet, the whole time, she sat there patiently with him, pressing him in unnoticeable amounts that only lead to vague, insignificant statements that lead to nowhere. All the while she felt her heart aching, urging her to do something, but unable to overcome her head, which was filled with doubt.

The only considerable achievement was getting him to talk about his first girlfriend. How he was unable to save her, and that he was certain she was dead. The whole time, she noticed the flashes of misery. He was vulnerable, but he hadn't been broken.

"Do you still miss her?" Robin had asked, hoping to get any kind of emotional response.

"I've moved on."

He so clearly had not. She heard the heartache in his tone. Saw the distress in his eyes. She had grown frustrated. Why is it that when he seemed to finally show some kind of sadness, some form of grief, he always shied away from it? Her inner thoughts clawed at her, scraping underneath her skin.

She wanted to hold his hand.

_He can let it out._

She wanted to hug him.

_There's nothing stopping him._

She wanted to tell him it was okay.

_He doesn't have to act like this._

She wanted to tell him that he didn't have to hide anything.

_He doesn't have to make himself suffer like this._

She wanted to tell him that she loved him.

_I love him._

She loved him.

"I love him," she said quietly to herself as she finally decided to get out of bed.

* * *

Robin had spent the entire morning with her intestines in knots. For the first time ever, Valentine's Day now made her absolutely nervous. And it was because of Snake. She was starting to avoid eye contact whenever he was nearby, and she would feel her stomach drop twelve stories if he somehow managed to sneak a glance in.

She knew she had to say something to him. Or say something to anyone. She didn't know how he could bear to keep in his thoughts so well, because she was already about to burst. But what would she say to him? Was he even interested?

She thought over this as she helped Peach and Isabelle set up decorations in the Grand Hall. She sighed as she adjusted an arrangement of red and white roses for what seemed like the hundredth time. She immediately stopped what she was doing as she felt a small tug on the edge of her robe and looked down to see Isabelle.

"Are you okay, Miss Robin?" The secretary asked with worried eyes. "I don't mean to pry, but you've been very anxious lately..."

"I'm okay," Robin said as she put on her best fake smile. "The holiday just makes me nervous, that's all."

"Hmm, I don't think I've ever seen you be this nervous around Valentine's Day before," Peach observed in passing, holding a roll of pink streamers. "Is there something on your mind?"

"I... well..." They both seemed trustworthy, but she was still hesitant. "Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Of course," Peach said sweetly, bounding over to the two as Isabelle hummed in affirmation.

"Okay," Robin said in a low voice. "I think I might have... feelings for Snake."

The princess immediately looked like she was going to explode from happiness as she squealed quietly, while Isabelle cooed softly.

"Is that so? Well, Mister Snake is very nice, even though he looks pretty scary. There's nothing to be ashamed of," Isabelle responded reassuringly. Those words alone untangled the twisted mess inside her gut.

Peach, meanwhile, giggled like a schoolgirl. "Oh, this is wonderful! You should tell him how you feel tomorrow. It'll be so romantic!"

Isabelle nodded sincerely. "That's a good idea. Sometimes getting things off of your chest is rewarding, even if things don't turn out the way you want."

Robin had come to terms with the fact that, despite her best efforts to ignore it, she still had feelings for him. She had to say something. "Maybe you're right. I just don't know how to go about it..."

"That's easy!" Peach chirped, clapping her gloved hands together excitedly. "Make him a card! I bet he'll appreciate it."

"A card..." Robin echoed thoughtfully, tawny eyes shifting to the floor. She could do that. She always wrote letters to her friends back at home, so it shouldn't be that hard. Except it was. ' _Hey, how are you doing? I'm doing fine, except the Duck Hunt dog was chewing on my tomes again, so I could be better_ ' wasn't going to cut it. "What do I write?"

"Just write what you feel," Isabelle answered. "Like you're emptying your thoughts out. That's how I write mine."

"I think understand now." She really didn't, but she wasn't going to be impolite.

In the time Robin had been confused about how to write a card, the princess had procured a pink, heart-shaped paper with glittery borders— the kind she usually handed out Valentine's morning— and gave it to her. "You can use this!"

She smiled down at it. It was a very pretty card.

"Now go and write something!" Peach urged her eagerly.

Robin looked at her incredulously. "Really? Are you sure you don't need more help?"

"Yep!" Princess Peach chirruped cheerfully, and gods Mario was one lucky man.

Isabelle seemed hesitant, but nodded. "I suppose not. You need all the time you can get."

The tactician nodded quickly, feeling a sudden sense of duty. "Right. Thank you so much. See you guys tomorrow!"

"It's no problem at all." Isabelle smiled kindly. "See you later!"

"Bye bye!" Peach waved. "Tell me how it goes!"

Robin's face felt like it was going to melt as she left the Grand Hall, staring down at the paper heart in her hands.

"You're all I've got, little buddy," she sighed to it.

* * *

Robin set down her quill pen on her desk and clutched her head as she racked her brain. She had been sitting there for half an hour and hadn't thought of a single thing to write.

Think, think... What did she want to say to him the most? _'What happened to your first girlfriend?'_ Oh, hell no. That would get her killed.

Then what did she think about him that he didn't know? That he's funny, he's handsome, he's hiding too much and should open up already...

Ugh. This was getting painful. Was she really this bad? She had read all of these romance stories, yet she couldn't write a simple 'I love you'.

Romance stories, huh? Ooh, good idea, Grimleal blood. She'll just quote a book. She stood up and left her desk, walking over to her bookshelf. What book was she reading last year...?

That's right. _Romeo and Juliet_. Maybe it could say the words for her. She located the book, black cover and gold lettering and all, and grabbed it, flipping open to scene two of act two.

Her eyes scanned along the lines, quickly skimming through the words, which were slightly faded against the old paper. Shakespeare was never too hard for her to understand, since the majority of it sounded like something Owain would've said in a casual conversation.

She stopped at the top of a page.

_JULIET_

_I gave thee mine before thou didst request it,_

_And yet I would it were to give again._

_ROMEO_

_Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?_

_JULIET_

_But to be frank, and give it thee again._

_And yet I wish but for the thing I have._

_My bounty is as boundless as the sea,_

_My love as deep. The more I give to thee,_

_The more I have, for both are infinite._

His face popped into her mind.

The more she talked to him, the more she thought about him... the more she felt herself falling farther.

Bingo.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BREAKING NEWS: local snakeman FUCKING DIES. more at 11
> 
> this chapter is a little shorter than the last one shhh

**_February 14, 2020._ **

-

It was snowing. And Robin was outside, standing in it. Standing under the same tree as the year before. Bracing the frosty wind that whipped at her pigtails and the ends of her scarf.

She started growing impatient. He had to be coming; he said he didn't like Valentine's Day. Did he have a Valentine already?

Robin sighed as she looked down at the valentine that she held in her hand. She felt like an idiot. She pushed him too much. Asked him too many personal questions. But, she was his friend, so it was only natural, right? At least, he was her friend. She had no idea if he considered her a friend. Was the feeling even somewhat mutual? Oh gods, what if he wasn't interested? Was she just setting herself up to be embarrassed?

"Didn't think I'd see you here again," a familiar voice in front of her commented so suddenly it made her flinch and shove the card into her pocket. Spying was a very fitting job for him.

"S-Snake!" She greeted breathlessly. "...Hi again."

"Hello." Snake offered her a small smile. It really was the littlest of gestures that hit her the hardest.

"I-I'm here because I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Really? Shoot."

Oh, where to start? The shorter woman wrung her hands anxiously, avoiding eye contact. "I just... I think you're a really great person, Snake. I'm really glad that I know you. I'm not just saying that. I've really enjoyed talking to you, and..." She paused, glancing up and catching a glimpse of the intrigued look on his face. Robin sighed before looking back down at the white flakes of frost in her hair. "I'm just telling you this to get it off my chest. If you hate me after this, that's okay. It's just been on my mind for so long."

"Robin," he began, but she shook her head.

"Y-you don't have to say anything," Robin interjected, and he went quiet again. "What I want to say is that..." She hesitated, focusing her eyes on a distant bush. "I want to get to know you. The real you. I know you don't like to share your true feelings, but I know they're there, and it hurts me to see you suffering in silence. I really want to see you be happy, and I want to help you. If you'd let me."

There was a heavy stillness, as if the words that came out of her mouth were now a thick fog consuming them. She glanced back up at him. He looked... confused. "Why?" He finally asked, and the lack of self-esteem in his tone practically crushed her. "Why would you even bother? I don't understand."

Robin felt the words latching onto her tongue, putting up a fight as she struggled to spit them out. Her face turned into lava and she whipped her head down. "D-damn it! It's b-because I love you! That's the only reason I have!"

Silence.

Her knees shook as she dug the valentine out of her front pocket, and she continued to look down as she held it out to him. "T-take it."

She felt him grab it gently.

And it was silent again. Ten seconds of it. Should she say something? Robin finally gathered the strength to see his face again.

He was looking down at the valentine in his hands. He was clearly flustered; his jaw was slack, like he didn't know what to say. And his ears were bright red. Was that from the cold?

"You don't have to respond. I understand if you don't love me back. I'd be fine with staying friends."

"N-no-" He choked out, and it took her by surprise. "I- uh..." He reached behind him and pulled something out of his back pocket; a single rose. "Here." His face grew as red as the flower in his hand as he offered it to her. Were his hands shaking? Oh gods, embarrassed Snake was adorable. If she wasn't so embarrassed herself, she'd be living it up.

Robin took the rose from him. It was very much real, and the thorns had been trimmed. She met his eyes, but his were looking elsewhere. "Is this a yes, then?" She asked him awkwardly, expecting another nonspecific answer.

"...Yes," he said with much struggle. "Yes. It's a yes. I love you too." She heard him curse under his breath.

That moment was definitely going to be replayed in her head until the end of time. But not right then, because if she thought on it too much her heart would burst. She pounced on him, hugging him tightly. "Gods, you don't know how happy this makes me. Can I kiss you?" The question came out before her filter could catch it, but she didn't care.

"Yeah."

She let go of him and grabbed his collar, pulling him down to her level as she kissed him on the lips. She was immediately attracted to his warmth, to the way his beard scratched against her face as he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her arms moved up to rest on his shoulders.

She wished that time could freeze on this moment, just so she could feel it for the rest of her life. But moments like this were fleeting.

She pulled away, exhaling sweetly. Her heart fluttered as she opened her eyes and saw him gazing at her intensely. "What do you think about this love story? Too sappy?"

"Nope," Snake responded, smirking playfully. "Just right." He craned his neck towards her and planted a kiss on her neck, making her squirm in reaction.

"C-cut it out! You've had your fun, mister," Robin chided teasingly, hearing him laugh as she pushed his face away.

"If you say so," he surrendered.

"Crazy idea. Do you want to join everyone else?"

"I forgot to tell you. I reread _Romeo and Juliet_. It's... not as bad as I thought," Snake mentioned, although he sounded like he was admitting to a crime more than he was actually sharing his opinion on something.

"It really is great, isn't it?" She was so glad. Finally, someone who can share her appreciation of _all_ of Shakespeare's works!

...Wait. Didn't she ask him something? "...H-hey! Don't change the conversation!" She pouted, growing annoyed at his smug grin. Oh, this man was riding a fine line between charming and annoying. "Do you want to go inside or not? I'd love to keep standing here hugging you, but I'm freezing."

"I guess I don't see why not," he sighed coyly, kissing her on the cheek and scratching his beard against her before releasing his arms from around her.

"Then let's go." Robin pulled away and grabbed his hand, leading him back toward the mansion. "We don't even have to talk to anyone if you don't want to."

"Fuck yes. You're the best."

The tactician giggled. And when he squeezed her hand, somehow she knew, deep inside of her, that everything would be okay.

_My bounty is as boundless as the sea,_

_My love as deep. The more I give to thee,_

_The more I have, for both are infinite._


End file.
